December 2008 Issue...

Hi folks. The last few weeks of 2008 have been particularly full/hectic here - so this issue is going to be pretty "light". If things go according to plan, I hope to include some reflections on "Employer Motivation" in the January issue. (Thanks to all of you who sent me your comments on this topic last month!)

As 2008 becomes a memory and 2009 brings renewed promise for our hopes and dreams,  I want to thank each of you for subscribing to this newsletter and sharing it with others. I hope that, over the next year, each of you will be able to draw some encouragement, information, or understanding from this newsletter that will enhance your life personally and/or professionally. Together, may we also find our way to greater peace, equality, justice and stewardship in our world...

~ Rob McInnes

INFO SHEET: Business Case For People with Disabilities

Author and speaker Gary Karp frequently speaks to employers about "the huge, untapped resource of people with disabilities as employees and consumers." Gary has put together a succinct summary of the six factors that he feels are key to the "business case" for employing people with disabilities.

  See: http://www.garykarpspeaks.com/pdfs/bizcasedisability.pdf

BULLETIN: ADA Amendments Act

On September 25, 2008, the Americans with Disabilities Amendment Act of 2008 was signed into law. Intended to reaffirm the intent of the original ADA, it primarily clarified the definition of "disability" and in so doing overturned some of the earlier ADA-related decisions of the Supreme Court. The Job Accommodation Network has summarized the changes and their implications in a handy Bulletin.

  See: http://www.jan.wvu.edu/bulletins/adaaa1.htm

RESEARCH: US Disability Status Report

Cornell University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Demo­graphics and Statistics has released the 2007 Annual Disability Status Report.  The report provides a summary of recent demographic and eco­nomic statistics on the non-institutionalized population with disabilities. The report contains information on the size and distribution of the disability population, as well as data related to employment, earnings, and household income, etc  Information and statistics are based on 2007 American Community Survey data.  Sample statistics detailed in the report include:

• In 2007, the employment rate of working-age people (ages 21 to 64) with disabilities in the US was 36.9 percent.

• The percentage actively looking for work among people with disabilities who were not working was 8.4 percent.

• The percentage of work­ing-age people with disabilities working full-time/ full-year was 21.2 percent.

For complete information, follow the link below. NOTE: You can log in as a “GUEST” and still have access to the information.

  See: http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/edi/disabilitystatistics/index.cfm

PROFILE: Bill Shannon - The Crutchmaster

I’ve had the pleasure of twice watching Bill Shannon perform some of his amazing dance routines – effectively translating his disability into an art form. I recently came upon one (of many) video clips – this one being somewhat autobiographical. In addition to his own performances, he joined Cirque de Soleil in 2001 as a choreographer. Bill’s work there evolved into some stunning crutch-based dance routines in the currently-touring Arekai show.

  See: Bill Shannon video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zjfpdRlbbA&eurl

  See: Varekai Dance Performance:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR_P8kInWEE&feature=related

  See: Bill Shannon Website: http://www.virtualprovocateur.com